Project Profile: Nederland Town Shop

Nederland Colorado’s old town shop had been declared irreparable, so a new building was needed for continued safe and reliable vehicle maintenance operations. Winter maintenance is key to keeping equipment operating—and keeping icy mountain roads clear. Additionally, the project needed to align with the town requirement that the building be Net Zero and adhere to a strict budget.

Acting as the design lead, JBA Engineering reached out to DMA for the shop’s energy planning and mechanical services design.

Working with the integrated team to create a design meeting those requirements, DMA Engineering presented its recommendations to the town’s Board of Trustees for approval. The design included several innovative approaches:

Radiant HeatingTo keep the building warm while large overhead doors were open to allow movement of equipment, radiant floor heating determined to be the optimal choice to retain the building heat. It was used throughout the building, including in bathrooms, break room, bunk room and garage/maintenance spaces.

Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)To stay within budget extensive site excavation was needed to allow building function. Since extensive earth moving was already required, it allowed the installation of an extensive GSHP field with minimum additional excavation.
This was a key element of the design

PhotovoltaicsSolar PV provided the optimal solution for balancing the day-to-day energy consumption of the building.

Requirements Met

This project proves a heavy-use industrial building that serves a vital function can also be extremely energy efficient—not only meeting programmatic needs, but also fulfilling budgetary requirements while actually enhancing the building’s function.

Colorado and Beyond

DMA Engineering also provides innovative energy, mechanical and plumbing solutions across the states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, Kansas, Texas, and the province of Alberta.